The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-11-16
DR.. LUDWIG woLF,s EXPLORATIONS.


DR.. LUDWIG VOLTS EXPLORATIONS.
CannibaIistic Warriors of Africa--A viii
lage of Dwarfs-Awife Selling.
We little dreamed few years ago that
the Congo had such magnificent tributa-
ries as have been discovered within few
years. DR.. Ludwig Wolf, the eminent
African explorer, found that for long
distance the Sankuru is about three miles
wide, with an average depth of nine feet.
For 300 miles up the river DR.. Wolf met
great many canoes. Many of them
were of enormous size, twice the length
of his little steamer, and they easily ac-
commodated eighty rowers. 1t was a
picturesque sight to see these great canoes
with their force of rowers all standing up
and plying their paddles SO effectively
that they could far outstrip the steamer
in speed. OF course, the white man and
his putting steamboat created immense
excitement and establishment, but very
little fear was manifested. Some of the
natives were inclined to be hostile, and
one powerful tribe, the Bassongo Mino,
confessed themselves to be cannibals.
The colored cloths and trinkets displayed
by the traveller excited their astonish-
ment and envy, and, as DIR. Wolf de-
chned to give all his pretty things away,
they decided to take them without ask
ing permission.
One morning some of these warriors
We're overheard talking the matter over.
They said it would be very easy to kill
the white man and his small party, chop
them up for food, and seize the steamer
and all the beautiful things it contained.
One of DIR. VOLTS helpers, large, fieshy
man, excited their particular admiration,
and they regarded him much as farmer
does a prize porker AS preliminary
to their scheme of serious hostility, they
began to pick quarrels with the explo-
rer's men. Their chief, Tongolata, be-
came very insolent, and told DIR. Wolf
he had him quite at his mercy. The ex-
plorer and his little force showed their
guns to the natives, who merely laughed.
They thought the guns as harmless as SO
many cudgels cut from thicket, and in
their ignorance did not regard them as
weapons at all.
DIR. Wolf was now able to do what
many another explorer has done when
hostile sayages, counting the little band of
strangers whom they believed they had
wholly in their power, have decided to
destroy them. He simply paralyzed the
natives by giving them little idea of the
mysterious properties of the shooting
irons. While he was standing by the
side of the saucy chief trying to placate
that important savage, the explorer sud-
denly drew his revolver, held it close to
the chiefs ear, and discharged it. The
effect was magical. The chief shivered
from head to foot with fear. He had
never had such tingling in his ears be-
fore, and he took hold of them to see il
they were still there. The big crowd of
yelling, insolent natives were struck
dumb with establishment and horror. 1t
required the explosion of only one car
fridge to convince the savages that these
visitors were very superior beings who
must be treated with due courtesy and
respect. The polite chief at once pre-
tended to be the explorers most excel
lent friend, sent him a present of two
chickens, and allowed him to go on his
way unmolested.
One day when DIR. Wolf was tramping
through forest he suddenly eama 10 a
grassy opening and saw before him a
large village of the Batua dwarfs, whom
Stanley heard Of when he first descended
the Congo, though he did not see them.
These curious little creatures, who are
spread over a large extent of country
south of the Congo, are very similar to
the Aka dwarfs whom Schweinfmth
discovered north of that river. They are
timid little folks, and they would doubt
hop aa.11fa hn1 NV.
Wolf before he suddenly appeared
among them. He found them living in
mean looking grass huts. Around their
village were many carefully covered pit
falls, nine TO twelve feet deep, which they
had dug for the purpose of catching any
elephants, buffaloes and wild boars that
might venture out of the forest to feed in
the grassy glade where the dwarfs lived.
AT first the dwarfs, quaking with fear,
gazed on the white man from o distance,
but finally, they became quite friendly.
They are a little over four feet high, are
coffee brown in color, and are well shaped.
They make no attempt to cultivate the
soil, but live solely by hunting, with their
bows and arrows and spears. They dry
good deal Of meat, which they sell
among the neighboring tribes for Indian
1olI' iiiainoc, anu o',er sese.'oic pro
oucts' Lukeligo' ehe king OIL one large
,rioe' Keeps qu,ee huh,Der OF Datua III
ms service ana ~ - tneir business 70 pro
.lue game anu palm VINE ior .ne hlns >
taDre. Dr' won says .hey are exceeaihgiy
eAlnlui ~ .'ie management VI 'iieir pows'
arr -, unu spears; 49, WV.
Inc baiuoa, wnom won ana wiSs-